Texas Senate Bill SB1526

Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Caption

Relating to restricting the use of personally identifiable student information by an operator of a website, online service, online application, or mobile application used for a school purpose and providing an exemption from certain restrictions for a national assessment provider.

Impact

The implementation of SB1526 would require compliance from various educational entities and service providers, fundamentally shaping how student data is handled within Texas schools. By establishing stringent protocols for data sharing and security, the bill seeks to strengthen the overall framework of student privacy in the digital age. Notably, it incorporates provisions for national assessment providers, exempting them from certain compliance requirements when their access to student information is solely for legitimate educational purposes, such as facilitating access to scholarships and educational opportunities.

Summary

SB1526 aims to enhance the protection of personally identifiable information of students in the context of educational technology. This bill mandates that operators of websites, online services, and applications used for school purposes implement robust security measures to safeguard student data from unauthorized access and use. The bill emphasizes the need for operators to utilize a unique identifier to mask personally identifiable student information during data uploads and transmissions, ensuring that such sensitive information remains secure and confidential throughout its lifecycle in the educational environment.

Contention

Throughout discussions surrounding SB1526, there may have been debates about the balance between data security and accessibility for educational assessments. Supporters likely argued that the protections are necessary to safeguard children's privacy in a landscape increasingly dominated by technology, while opponents may have raised concerns about the burden placed on educational institutions and service providers to adhere to these stringent restrictions. The specificity of exemptions for national assessment providers may also lead to questions regarding the adequacy of privacy protection for other entities involved in educational services.